Lisa Jelks of Gainesville wrote an email calling attention to the lack of a crucial sign for northbound motorists on 34th Street approaching Southwest Second Avenue.

The Florida Department of Transportation recently did some reconstruction in the area. Missing after the work was a 35-mph sign for drivers approaching Second Avenue and continuing to University Avenue, she said.

“After construction, the sign was never replaced, making it perfectly legal to drive through both of these very busy and congested intersections at 45 mph!” Jelks said. “I’m pretty sure FDOT did not intend for this to happen. There’s already been one fatality here since the change. Does FDOT know about this oversight or was it intended? Note, the southbound lanes are still 35 mph through both intersections.”

It turns out that FDOT did not know about the missing sign, said district spokeswoman Gina Busscher.

“Ms. Jelks is correct. There should be a 35-mph speed limit sign posted on SW 34th Street in the northbound direction just south of SW Second Avenue,” Busscher said in an email. “We’re not sure if the sign was hit and not replaced or what happened to it, but it will be replaced. It should be back up within the next week. Let Ms. Jelks know that we commend her for letting us know about this.”

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